Clothing suitable for cycling with a high UPF factor

[in4]

Has anyone found high UPF clothing for cycling? As sun cream/lotion tends to get sweated off during the warmer weather I thought some lightweight clothing might be a good alternative.

So far I've found a few 'sun hoodies' ( from Uniqlo and North Face ) that might work. They're loose-fitting so not that aerodynamic. They also have attached hoods that I guess you would use underneath a helmet. There's a few other details that might be useful such as a high collar, a half or full zip, draw strings for the hood, zipped pockets and under-arm ventilation holes etc.

I've seen some golf, surfing and running wear that might do the job but I'd be interested to know if anyone has found garments, particularly tops that might work.
TIA

[mickeg]

I know a guy that has had several skin cancer spots removed, he wears a lot of sunscreen with a high mineral content.  His skin is much whiter after he applies it.  For the last year or two he has also worn one of these to have less sun on his face and neck.
https://dabrim.com/products/cycling-classic

His jerseys are all short sleeve, he often wears some things that look like arm warmers but they are quite thin, I suspect have no significant insulation but has high UV shielding properties, they are white in color. 

I think you just need to look for clothing that has a high UV rating.  Most jerseys are a mesh that would allow a lot of sun to pass through.

I know a guy that in really hot dry (but only in dry) sunny conditions wears a white 100 percent cotton dress shirt, but a cotton shirt like that would not work well in humid conditions.  Attached photos.  The day I saw him and took those photos, I was really jealous that I did not have a shirt like that, it was a very hot dry sun.

If you have a thin spot on top (not much hair), remember to put some sun screen on top too, unless the air vents on your helmet are small and few.  I have big vents on my helmet, I often add sun screen on the thin spot.  A skull cap under the helmet would be better.

[in4]

Ive got a couple of pairs of these arm sleeves ands have used them in hot, humid conditions. They seem to work well re upf protection plus they have a kind of wicking property too.

https://www.solbari.co.uk/products/arm-sleeves-sensitive-mens?variant=4530441289769

I think you can get similar ones intended for golfers.

Thanks Mickeg

[Andyb1]

In Sri Lanka earlier this month I cut the crown out of a cotton hat and sewed it inside my usual cycling cotton hat so that the top of my head was well protected (photo is of original hat).  The outer hat had a brim and I always wore sun glasses.
I used either a summer long sleeved cycling top from Endura or an Indian cotton white shirt.  The Endura shirt was better - it was cooler and washed / dried faster.
Gloves - had to search but in the end I used some ‘racing’ gloves from Madison which had vents in the sides of the fingers and gave uv protection on the tops of my hands.
I used a neck tube around my neck that I could raise up, or a face mask that went over my nose.
Endura Humvee long legged shorts so only my legs below the knee were exposed.
No sun cream.
Only sun issues were on my exposed legs when the sun was lower.

[PH]

I cycle mostly in non cycling clothing, some of which comes from Rohan who always include the UPF info in the tech spec. 
I also have some arm sleeves like those linked by in4, they're useful in all weathers and save taking long sleeve stuff.

[WorldTourer]

For the last 60,000 km I have cycled in a Columbia Omni-Shade UV-proof long-sleeve shirt on top of a Smartwool microweight merino-wool base layer. This combination is quite comfortable, and on particularly hot days I can unbutton much of the shirt because, of course, it is one’s back and arms that are getting most of the sun.

The Columbia shirts are remarkably durable and a good investment. There is a little pilling on the fabric of the first shirt I bought long ago, but I should still be able to use it for years to come.

[Andre Jute]

You could wear a baseball cap right way round under your helmet to keep the sun off your nose and keep the perspiration out of your eyes, and sew on a piece of hanging cloth, French Foreign Legion style, at the back to keep the sun off your neck.

l wear a cotton dress shirt with the collar turned up to meet the helmet, and the cuffs overlap the leather dress gloves I cycle in. Works for me.

BTW, I hold my cotton khakis up with braces so that air can flow through, rather than a belt which would restrict airflow, and wear the shirt outside the trousers to promote airflow.

You'd look a right neddy in that hat George's chum uses, especially in red. A free air ticket to Australia should come with that hat.

I'm so fair that I never tan, my skin only burns. Recently I've had surgery for two melanomas and picked up a valuable tip. One of the surgeons told me that if I wanted all traces of the operation on the back of my hand to disappear, I should rub on Vaseline daily. The Vaseline has also had additional benefits beyond disappearing all traces of the surgery: it has almost eliminated the dried skin spots which are the starting point for melanomas when they harden (and faster if you scratch them off--once they start it is a lose-lose lottery), and the red blotches and brown spots of age have gone, so that my hands look forty years younger. I'm not vain but...

[in4]

https://www.bol.com/be/nl/p/regatta-unisex-protector-ii-roll-up-neck-baseball-cap/9200000125182884/

I use one of these. Sits beneath a helmet easily.

Also used one of these (prevously known as an Araphat) Quite adaptable compared to the Regatta one. Designed for fishing though and bit bulkier. Image might be an issue in somer countries though. 

https://sunprotectionaustralia.com/products/adapt-a-cap

Thus far I can say that our collective sartorial elegance is beyond compare!

Shirt wise, Ive also found the Columbia shirts very practical. Like Andre I've also used plain, dress shirts too. Ive used Trespass shirts in the past and they had pit zips: great for ventilation.

Many thanks for the contributions and suggestions so far.

[mickeg]

If you have not had a bad sunburn from cycling before, you might not realize that your legs are exposed to the sun differently than if you were standing or walking.  With bent knees on a bike, your legs below shorts are exposed differently that walking or standing.  For cycling I make sure I put an adequate amount of sunscreen on the front of my legs above the knees and below the knees enough sunscreen on the backs and sides of my legs.  On my arms, the inside of the arms that are not usually exposed to the sun if I am standing or walking get a lot of sun exposure when my hands are on my handlebars.  I use drop bars, so my hands are often on the hoods, thus my hands are twisted a bit differently than if I was using flat bars, thus the insides of my arms, especially near and below the elbows get a lot more sun when cycling compared to other activities.

If you are not wearing normal cycling clothing, don't forget that visibility on a bike is quite important.  On one tour I did with a friend, he wore a long sleeve shirt and a high vis vest over it.  Attached photo, but the high vis color is somewhat muted in overcast conditions, such as the photo.  (Dan has seen this photo before, I think he said it is near home.)  Second photo, days later, where you are in intermittent shade, the high vis is even more important.

I only mention this here because we have some world travelers that look at this forum.  Some sunscreens can damage coral reefs.
https://www.hawaii-guide.com/blog/hawaii-new-reef-safe-sunscreen-law

[Danneaux]

Over my 35+ years of desert touring, I've found it difficult to carry "enough" sunscreen to keep up with effective application guidelines, especially over extended periods of 3-4 weeks at a time. Some sunscreen lotions don't agree with me and my clothing over time, as I can taste it after application and it attacks the elastane elements in stretch clothing.

I've found my solution in sun-protective clothing -- Jerseys, shorts, sun sleeves for arms and legs, and a good "buff" to protect my scalp from sun through the helmet vents and my nose and neck from direct sun exposure.

I wish such things had been available in my earlier years of heavy sun and UV exposure, as I am paying the price now. I have completed repeated rounds of topical chemotherapy for actinic keratosis (pre-skin cancer) and for early-stage squamous-cell cancer and it isn't fun. Sunburn prevention really is key and your future self will thank you for taking precautions now.

My early jerseys and such were sourced from Brazil but as more people become aware, similar breathable/protective clothing that is sport-specific has become readily available as the market need expands. A lot of growth occurred in the construction and roofing fields, where need for all-day protection is great.

Here's some relevant links to helpful products...
https://www.buff.com/safety/hazards/sun/
https://dabrim.com/products/cycling-classic
https://www.roadbikerider.com/top-cycling-apparel-uv-protection/
https://www.pearlizumi.com/collections/sun-protection

I've found such products can command premium prices when purchased from "name" makers. Similar or identical products can often be found on eBay or Amazon, often produced in the same factories or as convincing, functional knockoffs for a fraction of the price. Tip: If you prefer a full-length jersey zip, leave it open only in the mornings and evenings when UV load is least. Otherwise, reflected rays from the road can really burn your chest, even when cycling on the drops.

Best, Dan.

[in4]

Extract from North Face reply re their LightRange Woven Jacket.

https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/p/mens/mens-hike-263754/mens-lightrange-woven-jacket-NF0A8ES9?color=JV4

Thanks for contacting The North Face Customer Care.
Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in our Men’s LightRange Woven Jacket.

As per the care label on the jacket, it does indeed feature Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) properties. Specifically, the LightRange Woven Jacket offers UPF 40+ protection, which blocks 97.5% or more of the sun’s harmful UV rays.

This level of protection, combined with the jacket’s lightweight, breathable, and moisture-managing FlashDry™ fabric, makes it a great choice for outdoor activities such as cycling. The anti-odour technology is also beneficial for longer trips where frequent washing isn’t always possible.

For your intended use cycling through Europe this summer, the LightRange Woven Jacket should serve you well. If you are specifically seeking a garment with a higher UPF rating of 40–50, please rest assured that this jacket already meets the lower end of that range with its UPF 40+ rating.

Should you have any further questions or require assistance with sizing or placing an order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

[John Saxby]

Thanks for starting this thread, Ian.  Apologies for being a bit slow to add my few cents' worth -- am just back from a nearly-end-of-winter break on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. (A useful spot to check out sun protection, though it wasn't for that reason we went there.  )

I'm a member of the Spotted Tribe -- my mum's family is Scots-Irish, and I've inherited her sensitivity to UV rays. (This of course lets me check in occasionally with Shaun Pollock and Rod Laver & exchange notes & wisdom.)

As for sources of cycle clothing:  Over the past ten years or so, I've come to rely almost entirely on Ground Effect in New Zealand, here: https://www.groundeffect.co.nz/

I've found their products first-rate for quality, fit and comfort.  Prices are reasonable, too -- not least because postage from NZ is very inexpensive by comparison with, say, Canada or the U.S.  I now have only GE garments for my longsleeved cycling jerseys (specifically  the "Rock Lobster"), and I have a couple of "Berglar" T-shirts for indoor wear & under-clothing.  GE advertises a UPF of 50 for their jerseys.

I also have a rainwear jacket, the "Anti-Cyclone".  (I should say that GE has an apparently endless stock of product names.  Most of these I enjoy, and I had a cheerful conversation with them about their use of "Zamboni",. something dear to every Canajan I know. Others are less, er, successful:  The rain jacket one step down from mine is named the "Storm Trooper".)

I've also found GE cycling shorts to be very comfortable.  I usually wear a pair of their liner short under loose overshorts.  For the latter, I use hiking shorts sourced in Ottawa, usually below the knee.

An alternative source for over-the-knee knickers is an outfit named AeroTech Designs, in Pittsburgh, Next Door.  I have a pair I bought years ago, and wear them often.  They sell a pair for USD 65 these days (about CAD 100) + extortionate postage.  That's a very reasonable price for a quality garment, but I doubt I'll buy anything from them for a while, on account of The Situation. (In times past I would use a friend's address in NYC when ordering, and collect them when we visited, but again, that option is off the table for now.)

Hope this is helpful, Ian, and good luck.

Cheers,  John